13 products made from honey (some will surprise you!)

Honey is sweet and has antibiotic properties, along with trace amounts of antioxidants and vitamins. honeybees however, are not only useful for making honey. They are essential to the planet’s ecosystem; so essential, in fact, that no life would be sustainable without their existence to pollinate flowers. There are many products made from honey; some of which clearly contain honey, and others of which you may not be aware. Here are facts about 13 products made from honey, with some surprising ones you had no idea.

1. Table Honey

Table honey is an effective substitute for sugar or molasses, such as in baked beans, coffee and tea. However, it is also used on its own as a topping or glaze, such as on pancakes and pastries. The most common form of table honey is clover blossom honey.

2. Organic Honey

Raw, organic and unfiltered honey is even tastier than regular table honey. It is available in several varieties depending on the flowers pollinated by the honey bees, such as clover, orange blossom, blueberry, wildflower, and red mangrove. This type of honey is produced without the use of GMOs, pesticides and antibiotics. In addition, it has medicinal properties thanks to the living bacteria in it and may contain honeycomb. You can buy it at many supermarkets. It is usually consumed as a spoon on its own as a health supplement or as a topping.

Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.

inspiring Want

Want more inspiring stories like this? *

Enter your email below to stay updated!

Submit

3. Medical Grade Honey

In modern medicine, medical grade honey is effective for healing wounds, burns and infections. The facts on two, in particular jelly bush and Manuka honey, show that they are bioactive, broad-spectrum antimicrobials with hydrogen peroxide-producing enzymes that inhibit the growth of bacteria, viruses, protozoa and fungi. There are different levels of strength ratings for medical grade honey. The more popular of the two, Manuka honey, is a unique type of raw honey made only in New Zealand by honeybees pollinating the Manuka bush. It has anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties that no other honey has and is used topically for wound care and skin care, as well as direct ingestion for digestion and health.

4. Mede

Mead is a fermented alcoholic honey drink made from water, lots of honey and yeast. Called the drink of the gods, it has become popular in the literature of the ancient Greeks and Romans, Vikings and royalty. It is often thought of as mead, although true mead contains up to 20% less honey in the finished product than when it started. Sometimes spices and other flavorings are added to give the mead more complexity of flavor.

5. Hot Toddy

A hot toddy is an ancient traditional remedy used to soothe sore throats, relieve colds and flu, and speed up recovery from illness. The standard recipe is a drink that calls for hot water, whiskey, honey and lemon. Variations with additives such as cinnamon and orange zest or whiskey substitutes also exist.

6. Sweets

There are a number of baked goods and baked pastries around the world that specifically call for honey instead of sugar. Not only as a possible glaze, but as an ingredient for the dough, honey adds sweetness and moisture and acts as a preservative. Snack bars and quick bread without yeast are common examples. Some, like the Moroccan cookie known as chebakia, are infused with it. Typical challah bread contains sugar, but there are also honey challah recipes. Those recipes that substitute honey for sugar should reduce the amount of water to prevent the dough from becoming too sticky.

7. Honey Butter

Honey butter is the combination of honey and butter to create a unique spread without the hassle of adding butter and honey separately. It is most commonly used on pancakes, muffins, cookies, and cornbread, especially in Southern cuisine or soul food. Sometimes spices, herbs, or fruits are added for added complexity of flavor, such as vanilla extract or cinnamon. The recipe usually calls for four parts room temperature butter with one part honey or one part butter with two tablespoons of butter.

8. Spreads and dips

Honey is not just limited to use on its own or to mix with butter. Some other spreads and dips call for honey, believe it or not. Honey goat cheese spread, honey vanilla fruit dip and hot sauce, and honey chicken dip are all examples of possibilities that show honey works equally well for savory and sweet dishes.

9. Sauces and Salad Dressings

The most popular sauce with honey in it is the beloved honey mustard, but homemade barbecue sauces and glazes often call for honey, too. Spread over pork before baking, the honey sauce or glaze caramelizes the skin. Paired with vinaigrette, it makes a great salad dressing.

10. Soups

When you taste bisques, pumpkin, sweet potato, carrot, parsnip, cauliflower and fruit soups, or spicy soups flavored with chipotle, ginger or curry, their flavors are complex. But can you tell they have honey in them? That’s right, honey is used to balance the savory, bitter, or spicy notes of certain soups. It can also add thickness to soups served at room temperature or lukewarm.

11. Skin care and cosmetics

Honey is an excellent ingredient for skin care and cosmetic products because it does not peel off or grow fungus. It serves as a moisturizing, brightening, antibacterial and/or flavoring agent. Lip balm, face masks and hair conditioner are just a few examples.

12. Candles

Honey gives a sweet, pronounced but not overpowering scent to candles, where it can be used as a main or additional scent. Beeswax honeycomb candles are an example where the trail of honey is the star of the show. Another example is soy candles with honey and other ingredients such as vanilla.

13. Chewing gum or candy

Chewing gum usually has a gum base. But did you know that you can also make chewing gum without it? That’s right, you can make a gum substitute with honey and beeswax by melting beeswax in a double boiler and adding honey and flavorings. Alternatively, you can make candy by melting beeswax and adding powdered sugar and honey.

Other honey bee products

• Beeswax is the natural secretion of honeybees that come from their wax glands on the sides of their bodies. You can find it in certain furniture polishes, skin care products, candles and more.
• bee pollen is a product of the male seeds of flower blossoms that honey bees collect and then mix with their digestive enzymes. It has antiviral, antibacterial and other health properties that make it popular as a tonic for athletes.
• propolis is made when honeybees chew the buds of trees and conifers and mix them with their saliva. It has antibacterial, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antifungal properties that make it popular as a health supplement, but it can also be used as an ointment for wound and cut healing.
• royal jelly is the food of the queen bee. It is made from a mixture of secretions from the salivary glands of the worker bees. Its powerful antioxidant properties made it popular as a health supplement and as an ingredient for skin care products.
• bee bread Also known as honeycomb pollen. The by-product is made from pollen mixed with digestive fluids and nectar from honeybees. Bee bread is used as a dietary supplement against digestive problems, anemia, insomnia, cholesterol, hepatitis, memory problems and stress.

honeybees pollinate plants and are important for people and all other life on planet earth. The facts about honey show that it has many health benefits. Not only do we consume honey in its raw form, but we also have many products made from honey, as a main or essential ingredient. All these products make use of the different properties of honey.

Next one: Do praying mantis bites?